One of the most common questions we are asked as REALTORS® is whether or not the house is in a good neighborhood.  Other than the fact that this is an extremely subjective question, since things that are important to you may not be the same things that are important to the next person, we can’t answer the question.  Your Realtor cannot legally tell you whether or not a neighborhood is “good”, or recommend a certain neighborhood.  If they do, they may be in violation of the Fair Housing Act.  So, how do YOU find out about a neighborhood, especially if you are moving from another town, state, or country?

There are several website sources where you can easily do your due diligence.  Most cities have their crime data statistics on their police website, Arizona has a sex offender website, and you can visit GreatSchools.com to get school information.  Don’t bother calling the local police and asking them about a neighborhood, because they can’t give out information or opinions other than to refer you to their crime statistics.  When evaluating these data sets, be sure to keep an open mind and consider the entire area they are in.  For example, I live in a low crime neighborhood, but if you check the crime statistics for my “grid” you might have a few concerns because there are some assault and theft crimes routinely reported within the grid.  So where are these crimes being committed?  On the edge of the grid is a bar (once in awhile there is a fight at a bar), and a large movie multiplex (hard to believe there might be a theft from a vehicle or stolen purse now and then).

Now that you know that you are responsible for determining whether or not a neighborhood is good for YOU, the most sure fire way to find out about a neighborhood is to go to the grocery store.  Yep, that’s what I said…go shopping.  Look for the grocery store where you would shop if you were to buy a house in that neighborhood and go there.  The people at this grocery store are your neighbors, since people typically shop for food at stores close to their home.  Another thing, you can’t always tell about people by the car parked in front of their house.